the Empire towards the Rhine. But, whatever the results of the short but great war then publicly proclaimed by France and Sardinia against Austria, its effect, by increasing the demand for shipping, combined with other causes, proved very salutary to the fortunes of British Shipowners.
Mr. Lindsay moves for an inquiry into the burdens on the Shipping Interest, January 31, 1860. Though England had been startled by the proceedings on the Continent, and had made preparations for any emergency, she happily kept clear of "entanglement," so that Parliament had time to direct its attention to other less exciting, but to her more important subjects. Under these circumstances, I consequently, on the 31st January, 1860, renewed my motion,[1] for an inquiry into the state of our merchant shipping, and the operations of the burdens and restrictions especially affecting that interest. After a long and interesting discussion, the House was pleased to adopt my motion, extending the inquiry into various Acts of Parliament then in force;[2] and, on the 16th February of that year, the Committee was appointed:[3] the whole of that session was devoted to the inquiry, and to the complaints and suggestions of the Shipowners and other persons interested, who were heard in detail: no less than
- ↑ See 'Hansard,' vol. clvi. pp. 332 to 347, and p. 347 et seq.
- ↑ An Act for compensating the families of persons killed by accident 9 & 10 Vict. c. 93; the Merchant Shipping Act 1854; the Merchant Shipping Amendment Act (1855); the Passenger Act (1855); and the Chinese Passenger Act (1855).
- ↑ The following were the Members of the Committee:—Mr. Milner Gibson (then President of the Board of Trade), Lord Lovaine (now the Duke of Northumberland), Mr. (now Lord) Cardwell, Mr. Thomas Baring, Mr. Crawford, Mr. Francis Baring, Mr. Somes, Mr. Gore Langton, Mr. George William Bentinck, Mr. Wilcox, Mr. Liddell (now Lord Eslington), Mr. Francis Russell, Mr Hugh Taylor, Mr. Alderman Salomons, and Mr. Lindsay.
